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Evidence-based family psychotherapy delivered by licensed clinicians within adult residential mental health treatment. Models include Bowen family systems, structural family therapy, and Multidimensional Family Therapy.
Residential mental health treatment. Adults 18 and older. Licensed clinicians.
Family therapy at Villa Healing Center is structured family psychotherapy delivered by licensed clinicians within residential mental health treatment for adults in Woodland Hills, California. Sessions use evidence-based family models including Bowen family systems, structural and experiential approaches, and Multidimensional Family Therapy, matched to each adult’s clinical situation and family configuration. Family therapy is recognized by the American Psychological Association and the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy as an effective treatment for mental health and substance use conditions. We accept most major commercial insurance.
Family therapy, also called family psychotherapy or family systems therapy, is a structured clinical conversation between an adult patient, their invited family members, and a licensed clinician. The National Institute of Mental Health describes psychotherapy as treatment that identifies and changes troubling emotions, thoughts, and behaviors, with the goals of symptom relief and improved daily functioning. Family therapy delivers psychotherapy in a relational format that treats the family as an interconnected system rather than treating one person in isolation.
The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy maintains the professional standards, code of ethics, and clinical guidelines for licensed marriage and family therapists. SAMHSA TIP 39 documents family therapy as a foundational intervention for mental health and substance use treatment, with strong evidence for improving treatment engagement, reducing relapse, and supporting long-term recovery.
Family therapy at Villa Healing is delivered within residential mental health treatment for adult patients. Adults receive scheduled family sessions throughout their stay when family involvement is clinically appropriate, alongside individual therapy, group therapy, psychiatric medication management, and integrative wellness programming.
Family therapy at Villa Healing draws on multiple evidence-based models. The specific approach for each adult is chosen by the treating clinician based on diagnosis, family configuration, presenting issues, and clinical goals.
The clinical team and the adult patient discuss family involvement at intake and adjust the family therapy approach as the treatment plan evolves.
Family therapy is a foundational modality for the conditions Villa Healing treats. Each condition below has a dedicated clinical page with the broader treatment framework.
The clinical assessment at admission identifies which conditions are primary, whether family involvement is clinically appropriate, and which family models will most benefit each adult’s treatment plan.
Family therapy at Villa Healing is delivered within residential mental health treatment for adults, not as a standalone service. Villa Healing serves adults 18 and older under California Department of Social Services adult residential facility licensure. Family therapy at Villa Healing involves the adult patient with parents, partners, adult children, siblings, or other family members chosen by the adult in treatment. Villa Healing does not provide family therapy for adolescent or teen patients, and Villa Healing does not provide standalone or virtual family therapy.
Family sessions are scheduled when clinically appropriate during the residential stay. Not every adult in residential treatment has family sessions; the clinical team and the adult patient discuss family involvement at intake and determine appropriateness based on treatment goals, family configuration, and clinical safety considerations.
What we do not provide: standalone family therapy, virtual family sessions, pay-per-session family counseling, or family therapy for adolescent patients. Adults seeking family therapy can search Psychology Today’s clinician directory or the AAMFT TherapistLocator at therapistlocator.net. Families seeking adolescent or teen family therapy can search AAMFT’s directory filtering by specialty, or contact their pediatrician for a referral.
Length of stay is set by clinical recommendation. Family sessions continue at lower intensity through step-down care when clinically indicated.
A typical family session runs 60 to 90 minutes with the adult patient, 2 to 4 family members chosen by the adult in treatment, and one licensed family clinician. Sessions are scheduled weekly or bi-weekly depending on the treatment plan and family availability.
The first family session is a clinical assessment that maps the family configuration, identifies relational patterns and presenting concerns, and establishes shared treatment goals. Subsequent sessions follow the clinical model chosen for the work. A Bowen-informed course often includes a genogram exercise to map multigenerational patterns. A structural course focuses on observing and adjusting family interaction patterns in session. An experiential course works with communication, emotional expression, and family roles in the moment.
Family confidentiality has unique parameters. The clinician clarifies at the start what is shared among family members during the session versus what is documented for the residential treatment team. Adult clinical information is shared with the treatment team for coordination of care and with insurance carriers for continued-stay reviews when required for coverage, within the limits established by California law and the residential setting.
Family therapy may not be clinically indicated in every situation. Common contraindications include active abuse or unresolved safety concerns within the family system, ongoing custody disputes that would compromise clinical work, or a family member with active untreated substance use attending while the adult is in early recovery. The clinical team evaluates these factors during intake.
Villa Healing Center accepts most major commercial insurance for residential mental health treatment, which includes family therapy when it is part of the residential clinical program. Most commercial plans cover residential mental health care with prior authorization, and continued-stay reviews are conducted based on medical necessity. Out-of-pocket cost depends on your plan deductible and coinsurance.
If your plan is out-of-network, we work with you on out-of-network reimbursement, single-case agreements, and self-pay options. Call (888) 669-0661 to discuss options or to begin the admissions conversation.
Villa Healing Center is located at 23033 Ostronic Drive, Woodland Hills, California 91367, in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles County. Our residence is accessible from the 101 and 405 Freeways.
Family therapy at Villa Healing is delivered onsite as part of adult residential mental health treatment. Adult patients from across the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles County, Ventura County, Orange County, and the broader Southern California region travel to our Woodland Hills facility for residential care that includes family therapy. Family members typically travel onsite for sessions, and our admissions team coordinates session scheduling with both the adult patient and the participating family members.
Clinically reviewed by Dr. Courtney Scott, MD, Medical Director at Villa Healing Center. Board eligibility: Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, Addiction Medicine.
Read more about our team
Villa Healing Center admissions are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call (888) 669-0661 to speak with a clinical intake coordinator, or verify benefits to start the conversation about whether residential treatment with family therapy is right for your situation.
If you are in crisis right now, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. For medical emergencies, call 911. Reach the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.
